Program Reviews

Studying abroad with SAI is the best decision that I've ever made. SAI helped me throughout the entire process, from pre-departure, while in Rome, having to come home in the middle of the semester due to COVID-19, and afterward. SAI provides you with a ton of resources to make the process of applying for visas, booking flights, and obtaining a permit to stay as easy as possible. While in Rome, SAI gave us many opportunities to get to know the other students in the program and learn more about the city and country that we were staying in. The amount of students was perfect because there was a small enough group to where we all knew each other's faces but a large enough group to where we could meet new people and have different friend groups. COVID-19 put a huge amount of stress on the students in the program, but the on-site staff helped us through the entire process by providing assistance in arranging flights and reassuring us and giving us kind words throughout the entire process. SAI made the difficult (but responsible and correct) decision to send all students home when some universities did not make the decision for themselves. When I arrived home, SAI staff reached out to make sure that I had settled back into life in the United States and worked to provide us with as much of a refund from the time that we had to leave early. I loved every moment that I got to spend in Rome and without SAI I would not have been able to enjoy my experience as much as I did.

My experience studying at UPF with SAI in Barcelona was incredible. I would choose it over and over again.

UPF - UPF is the top ranked school in Spain, so the classes were definitely challenging, but in a good way. I didn't feel like I was wasting my time with school, I really was learning important information. It is also a very historic and culturally Catalan school, so it was perfect for getting the local experience I wanted!! Beautiful and peaceful campus just a 10 minute walk away from Barceloneta (the beach). Be prepared to do school work, but also have really cool professors and learn a lot. Totally worth it.

BARCELONA - I'm probably biased but I think this is the best city to study abroad in. Absolutely beautiful, so much to do, awesome night and day life, and super easy to travel out of / access the airport for weekend trips.

SAI - SAI was the best decision I could have made. They were SO accommodating, quick to respond, and settled any worries I had going into it. The apartments we were assigned were really nice and fantastic location. SAI gave the perfect amount of independence but also security and excursion opportunities. The staff were all so welcoming, easy to talk to, and made you feel right at home. They also planned great events and were fun to hang out with!! We went to Monterserrat, had a flamenco dancing workshop, ceramics workshop, Catalan cooking night, weekend trip to Seville, and more ... the staff made all of the excursions so great!! I really felt like I got a local experience in Barcelona and that was my main goal for studying abroad. So much of the local experience I was given was from SAI excursions and their Global Leadership Certification, where I had the opportunity to earn an additional certification through making a presentation on a subject related to Spain, write a thesis statement, meet with the advisors, attend academic seminars, and volunteer weekly at a local school to help teach the kids English. Overall incredible experience!

My experience in Barcelona with SAI was one I would not trade for the world. SAI acted as a second family to me and helped make the somewhat scary transition from the US to Europe feel natural. They were there every step of the way when I was sick, confused, lost; they were always there to hold my hand and help me no matter the time of day. I recommend this program to anyone studying abroad because I never thought I would have such a positive experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world! SAI also helped me meet tons of students from around the globe with their opportunities to travel in groups and nightly activities such as my favorite- cooking class!

In Sorrento, it's always sunny. You can see the beautiful ocean everywhere you look and it is so calming. There is the perfect balance of city and nature. Sorrento felt homey and I loved that the university was right above the marina. I lived in the dorms and I did not want to leave. The rooms were spacious and cleaned once a week. My favorite part was our balcony overlooking the garden. I loved sitting out there and reading a book or journaling after class. The views from the dorms are amazing. Watching the sunsets from the rooftop balcony will forever be some of my favorite memories. I made lifelong friends from all over the U.S. and got to travel all through Europe. I learned that I could get out of my comfort zone and move to a different country, where I knew absolutely nobody and have the best time of my life. I miss Italy every day and I will have these amazing memories forever. I didn't have a lot of time to miss home because I was always doing something fun and I was shocked by how easy it was to make friends.

I loved studying abroad with SAI! They always had staff available to help in whatever you needed and understood how overwhelming studying abroad can be. SAI planned awesome trips and immersion activities that made me feel like Florence was my home. The three day trip we took was to Commachio, Padova, and Ravena, three places I would never have normally gone but it ended up being a great trip that allowed me to see smaller cities in Europe, unlike some of the other programs which just take you to Rome or Venice (places you would easily go yourself).

I studied abroad for an entire semester in Rome through SAI and it was undoubtedly the best experience I've had in my life. I ate some incredible food, witnessed incredible places, met and connected with people who have changed my life, and learned much about myself. It was a semester of self-exploration and global-exploration! I have come back to the States as a culturally competent and well-rounded person who is able to adapt to situations. I became close friends with Alessandra and Jordan, the coordinators from SAI, and I truly enjoyed their company and learning from them. During my time abroad, I pursued the Global Leadership Certificate SAI offers which has supplemented my resume.

I learned a lot about myself as a person, which I was not expecting because I thought I was pretty in touch with who I was. I also feel like I gained a lot of cultural capital as well because I've visited, seen, and learned about all these amazing things, like art and culture, that I had only ever dreamed of. Traveling while I was abroad was one of the biggest highlights and something that I would recommend for all study abroad students. It gives you he chance to see things that you had only ever hoped of seeing and doing. But don't forget to get to know your own host country, especially Italy where there so much to do and see just in the country. Because the professor and school were understanding that study abroad students were there to do more than just school, the workload was lighter, giving everyone the opportunity to be pursue and do things beyond school, like traveling. I can't advocate for study abroad enough, especially SAI who made the experience even better by being such a resource in a new place where I didn't know a lot of things.

I loved studying abroad in Barcelona with SAI. I was able to travel every weekend and learned about the local culture of Barcelona through the help of my SAI program advisors. I made great friends who live around the US and around the world that I am able to keep in contact with to this day. Studying abroad gave me the confidence and independence I needed to improve myself. Money is always difficult to manage but it is manageable if you plan out how you want to spend your money. SAI helped me explore the local culture and go out of my comfort zone to immerse myself and really get the lay of the land. By the end of the program I felt extremely confident in my ability to travel around the world. I would go back again tomorrow if I could! Loved SAI

I had a very memorable and enjoyable experience abroad, studying abroad was something I've wanted to do my whole life so it was very fulfilling to me. I was able to form friendships and explore Europe just as I had hoped. Being this far away from home for so long was understandably nerve wracking at first, but it is an experience I would not trade. Due to living in Paris, there was always something to do, it was particularly helpful having the SAI newsletter that was informative on events and holidays to take part it. My school also had several events throughout the year for its students, this is a good way for international students to meet people. Overall, I had a great study abroad experience, and it allowed me to gained a sense of independence.

I had the most amazing semester studying in Barcelona, Spain. The SAI program I did organized many activities and trips for the students in my program. We did a cooking class, many dinners, trips to Monseratt, Girona, Sevilla, and many more. When I wasn't doing things with the SAI program I was traveling on the weekends with other students in my program. I loved living in walking distance from so many amazing restaurants and ancient cathedrals. Getting to use the metro for transportation was very convenient and saved me a lot of money from taxis. The metro made exploring the city a breeze whether it was exploring the mountains or the beach; the city of Barcelona has so much to offer. Overall, I would not change anything about my semester abroad and recommend everyone study abroad.